Coming from British author Jasper Fforde, this comic fantasy series is now a world renowned collection of novels due to their witty and irreverent take on the genre. With their own universe expanding as the series progresses, there is always more material and content for the franchise to build upon. Providing so much potential, it has managed to sustain itself effectively over the many years of its largely successful run. Setting itself in a parallel universe it features George Formby as the first president of the republic there, as it bases itself on a vastly different political structure. Having invaded Britain, the United Kingdom has been occupied by the Nazis after their successful incursion through ‘Operation Sea Lion’ during the Second World War. Due to this, the advances in genetic engineering have come a long way, as well as the shadowy advances of many less than reputable megacorps.

Over the years this has been a successful series that has looked in depth into some deeper more profound ideas. Using absurdism and comedy as its starting point it never forgets its roots, as it’s an entertaining collection of novels. With the authors willingness to tackle deeper issues head-on though it looks like this series isn’t going to be stopping anytime soon.

The Eyre Affair

Initially published in 2001 on the 1st of January, this was to be the novel that set-up the entire universe of the Thursday Next series. Creating all the different elements and characters that were going to be contained within, it managed to build a fully realized world. It also managed to establish the overall tone and ambiance of what was to come in the subsequent books that were to follow in the years to come.

As a literary detective it is up to the protagonist Thursday Next to police the world of literature and all its comings and goings. In this world literature has full physical form and can manifest itself in reality and it is down to her to manage this and keep it contained. Having seen it all before she’s got a wide-range of experience and is somewhat world-weary to everything that takes place within this universe. The other characters she meets as well, both from the world of fiction and his own world, also help to fully establish who she is as a person. Whilst it may be somewhat absurdist in its premise, it still retains a sense of relatability to the central characters within. The premise itself is also highly intriguing and it shows as her readers keep coming back for more with its worldwide audience. Highly surreal it ensures that everything still has a sense of purpose and reasoning behind it, as Fforde manages to fit everything into its right place. This is what prevents it from losing itself, as he has managed the impressive act of juggling all the different elements along with the premise itself. Over the course of the series to come, this turns into a living breathing world that’s unlike any other, whilst still retaining his unique sens of humor.

Set in 1985, it features the story of Thursday Next as she works in an alternative Great Britain, dealing specifically with cases set around the world of fiction. When crimes are based on the physical manifestation of literature, it is up to Thursday to step in, this time dealing with the case of one missing Jane Eyre who appears to have been abducted from her own novel. Hot in the trail, Next must travel into the Bronte novel and hunt down the villain responsible for this most heinous crime and right the wrongs that have occurred. Will she be able to find the culprit in time? What lies in wait for her inside the novel and is it what the reader expects? Can she find out the mystery of the Eyre affair?

Lost in a Good Book

Following on from the last being the sequel in a now long-running series, this was first published in 2002 to much acclaim. With the premise now firmly established it went about developing this set-up even further than before, as it managed to build upon the style and the tone. The characters as well are also given greater depth, in that it manages to create a far more fully rounded sense of itself.

It is the building upon its characters that gives it its scope, along with the overall premise of the series as a whole. This along with the development of the world in general as it manages to set itself within a now well established universe with its own formulas and conventions. Using languages of its own, with a history that is richly refined, it continues its adventures as it follows the protagonist Thursday Next.

This time she finds herself dealing with Miss Havisham from Great Expectations to whom she has been apprenticed, having previously lost the love of her life the corrupt megacorp, the Goliath Corporation. In this apprenticeship where she is moonlighting with the Prose Resource Operative of Jurisfiction, she finds herself learning all the tricks of the trade when what she really wants is to track down the love of her life Landen. Things get complicated though after she gets caught up in a mission to save the world from pink sludge, as she’s taken through a whole series of different books. Will she be able to find her way out? Can she save the world from the pink sludge? What will become of her love as she gets lost in a good book?

The Thursday Next Series

With whole worlds to explore there’s a wealth of material to build upon here, as it’s managed to progress exponentially over the years. Using its own languages and political systems, it’s a universe unto itself, set within the tradition of so many fantasy novels before. The amount of research that has gone in as well is phenomenal, as it leaves no stone unturned when exploring all the different possibilities from such a turn of events as the ones depicted. With fans for the series worldwide there’s no telling where Jasper Fforde will choose to take it next, but one thing’s definitely for sure and that’s that he shows no signs of stopping anytime soon.

Master of the standalone thriller genre, Shari Lapena, is back. Author of The Couple Next Door and A Stranger in the House, An Unwanted Guest is the latest novel by Shari. It takes place in a cozy mountain lodge in Winter where various people are staying for a romantic getaway. A blizzard cuts off the power and any contact with the outside world so everyone settles in for the long haul. Then a guest dies. And another. Knowing Shari's other books, this should be one we'll be reading late into the night. For more details or to pre-order, visit our Shari Lapena page.

Recommendations

Every 2 weeks we send out an e-mail with 6-8 Book Recommendations. We'll base this on various factors for example "If you like Jack Reacher..." or "If you like short stories in the horror genre". Insert your e-mail below to start getting these recommendations.

MISSING A BOOK?

I do my best to make sure the book lists are complete and current, but due to human or machine error while attempting to keep 3000+ authors up to date, the occasional book can be missed or will be listed under an alternate title. If you see one missing just send me an e-mail below. Thanks!

Author / Series

Book(s)

Featured Series

Our book series of the month is the Will Robie Series by David Baldacci. If you like Mitch Rapp, Jack Reacher, Jason Bourne etc then you'll love the Will Robie series. These are page turners to the max too and Baldacci knows how to keep you going all night long!

Featured Author

Bill Wenham is the author of various book series including The Inspector Charrington Mysteries and the Inspector Bruce Mysteries. He just started writing in his 80s to follow a life long dream. It’s an amazing story and the books he has written are pretty great too – his passion really shines through. Read more about Bills books.

Did You Know…

Due to the mass controversy involving the ending to The Divergent Trilogy, author Veronica Roth had to post a large blog post, both explaining and defending the ending of the series.